Perhaps 5 years I was asked (told) by one of the largest Boston-area birthing hospitals to stop teaching expectant parents that powdered formula is not a sterile product & should be avoided for all newborns. They claimed I was scaring parents into paying a little bit more for ready to feed or concentrated infant formula when powder was cheaper, or when powder was what was provided by WIC.
I felt vindicated this October when the American Academy of Pediatrics published a study on the topic with an official recommendation to avoid powdered infant formula for all babies under 2 months. See:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/10/02/peds.2011-3855.abstract?papetoc
Prevention of Invasive Cronobacter Infections in Young Infants Fed Powdered Infant Formulas

Just because the AAP prints it doesn't mean most pediatricians *know it*, but at least now I/we have a credible reference to point to when we're asked to back up our statement, that deals with healthy, term infants in the community.

CONCLUSIONS: Cronobacter can infect healthy, term (not just hospitalized preterm) young infants. Invasive Cronobacter infection is extremely unusual in infants not fed PIF/HMF. RTFs are commercially sterile, require minimal preparation, and are competitively priced. The exclusive use of BM and/or RTF for infants <2 months old should be encouraged.

Nancy

Nancy Holtzman, RN IBCLC CPN
VP Clinical Content & eLearning

Isis. Parenting Starts Here.
781.429.1419
@nancyholtzman
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
www.isisparenting.com


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